Kohl Children’s Museum’s Pop-Up Museum [Waukegan]

Looking for somewhere different to go? For the month of February and March, Kohl Children’s Museum is back hosting a pop-up museum in Waukegan. And it’s FREE!  

The Pop-up Museum is in a new location this year at the College of Lake County Lakeshore Campus, 111 N. Genesee St. The pop-up museum features some familiar and some new exhibits including, an art studio, building area, Tech play Lab, art studio, reading nook and more.

I visited the opening weekend with my 9 and 6-year-old and they did not want to leave. The pop-up is great for all ages and I saw older children engaged in the Rigamajig building area or creating art. If you have been to the previous two pop-ups this one is a bit different. It’s in a much smaller space so it definitely felt more crowded during the peak morning hours (10 a.m.-12 p.m.). Despite the crowds, there was still plenty to do and my kids had no problem moving around and having turns with the toys.

One of the highlights of this year’s pop-up is the new Tech Lab featuring a Code-a-pillar which my 6-year-old loved playing with. My 9-year-old made her computer programming father’s heart flutter when she spent a good many minutes coding a Bee-Bot. There are both instruction and challenge cards as well as tiles to create paths available to guide and help parents engage in the coding with their kids.

Additional stations in the pop-up allow children to build their own collections, build a trilobite, and explore their creativity. There are loads of supplies and stations for children to do everything from painting with water to creating collage masterpieces, to building magnetic scenes.

The pop-up space is smaller so it’s easy to keep an eye on multiple children and volunteers keep children from running out the door without an adult. We spent almost two-hours there creating and building and my kids were aking to back as soon as we left.

Know before you go:

• Bathrooms and a water fountain are located before you enter the pop-up.
• The pop-up is located downstairs, there is an elevator but I would suggest leaving the stroller at home.
• The coat rack is located at the back of the space and you will definitely want to use it as it was pretty warm in there when it was full.
• Parking is available on Genessee, remember to bring coins. The cost of street parking is $.25 per half hour. Meters take quarters, dimes, and nickels. Note: The maximum time meters allow is two hours. There is also a parking garage nearby.

Kohl Children’s Museum Waukegan Pop-Up Museum
College of Lake County, Lakeshore Campus, 111 N. Genesee St., Waukegan

The pop-up museum hours  are as follows:
Thursdays 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Fridays 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Saturdays 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Through March 21. 
Admission is FREE

Watch a quick tour below:

What did your kids enjoy doing at the pop-up museum?